For Boat Builders Only

Well, now that you're here, it makes us wonder why?  There could be several reasons.  One, you might already be building a boat.  Two, you could be hoping to someday build a boat.  Or three, you might just be curious as to why we would have such a page titled "For Boat Builders Only".  What ever the reason, now that you're here, you might as well read on.

The reason for developing this page goes to the primary purpose of the American Sternwheel Association.  That is, "to promote the proliferation of paddlewheel boats".  To be more succinct, the proliferation of "personal size paddlewheel boats".  This does not mean that we're trying to revive 200 year old technology and bring back the days of steamboats.  Rather,  we are applying some aspects of 200 year old technology to a totally new concept of vessel which is better suited for modern times.  The only real connection between the two eras is the use of a paddlewheel and, in some instances, the emulation of style.

We assume that by now you have already read the article by Captain Gary Morton entitled "Do I want to own a Paddlewheel Boat?".  If you haven't, please do so now.  Then, if you come back to this page, we'll know that you're really interested.

Building a Paddlewheel Riverboat is somewhat of a daunting task to say the least.  It's one that only a very few will attempt and even less will follow through to completion.  As Captain Morton points out, in over thirty years, only a little over one hundred boats of this kind have been built.  Why is this, you might ask? 

The primary reason is the lack of knowledge about paddlewheel boats and why they are so ideally suited for travel on the inland or protected waterways.  Most people are only familiar with vessels they see most often such as sail boats, cruisers and houseboats.  Sail boats, of course, are not suitable for rivers because the lack of continuous wind and the necessity of frequent course changes required to follow the river.  This leaves cruisers and houseboats which are fine and, especially for cruisers, a necessity when boating on coastal or open waters.  Houseboats are also well suited for some larger lakes and bays.  One of the reasons for this suitability is their usual construction of either all fiberglass or combination of wood and fiberglass to better handle a saltwater environment.  Secondly, they are deep draft and low profile to better handle the large swells and roughness frequently encountered in lakes, coastal and open waters.  However, what makes these vessels good for partially protected or even open waters, often becomes a dis-advantage when used on rivers.

On the other hand, paddlewheel boats have certain characteristics that make them more suitable for rivers. For instance, their shallow draft and higher center of gravity makes them 'stiffer'.  This means they are slower to roll with a wave and slower to return.  Although not a good feature for rough water, it produces a wonderfully smooth ride on rivers.  Also, since most have their entire cabins above the deck, they are more spacious and seem 'more like home'.  An important feature when spending lots of time away from home.  Their large foredecks and usually attached 'landing stages' makes it easy for them to land on just about any stretch of riverbank and allows you to go ashore without getting your feet wet.  Virtually all paddlewheel boats have steel hulls.  This may be a drawback in saltwater but is a must to handle the debris and other navigational hazards associated with river travel.  The hulls are also bulk-headed or divided into multiple compartments, thus reducing the risk of sinking should a leak occur.  Also, since paddlewheels turn much slower than propellers, the engines powering them can run at a lower speed.  This results in better fuel economy and longer engine life.  It's not uncommon for forty-ton paddlewheel vessels to run eight or better miles per hour and burn less than two gallons of diesel fuel per hour.  This lower engine speed combined with the fact that most have their engines above deck also results in a quiet ride.   And, how many boats carry spare parts, have a workbench and welder along with a cutting torch for maintenance and repairs on a long voyage?  A lot of paddlewheelers do.

When all features of each style of vessel are compared for use on rivers,  the paddlewheel boat will excel in all but perhaps two.  First, due to the size and tonnage of most paddlewheelers, they cannot be easily pulled out for winter storage.  Second, no paddlewheel boat can match the speed of cruisers or houseboats.  However, many owners of paddlewheelers don't consider the lack of speed much of a dis-advantage especially when compared to all of the advantages.

There is one other aspect of paddlewheel riverboats that should also be considered.  It's one that most captains place high on their list of 'pluses' and must be included.  It's also the quintessential argument for building your own paddlewheel boat and it has to do with pride and vanity.  These are traits exhibited only by the human of species and, though often mis-guided, have been the overwhelming driving force behind most of mans great achievements.  This aspect is, 'they are unique'.  Anyone who's tried to find someone in a large marina knows that they need the pier letter and slip number because all the boats look alike.  It's much like today's automobiles.  There's very little difference between the looks of a Toyota, a Buick or even a Mercedes.  This is not a problem with paddlewheel boats!  They're all different, they stand out in a crowd and they do draw attention.  Even captains who have built more than one, have never built two exactly alike.  Therefore, whether seated behind the pilot wheel watching the banks go by or showing someone through the boat, few words can describe the immense pride and even limited vanity of knowing that you built this very unique vessel yourself and that very few others have achieved this level of accomplishment.

A second reason for the small numbers of paddlewheelers being built is the lack of technical information available on how to do so.  The decline in the building of paddlewheel steamboats began shortly after the turn of the twentieth century when railroads started coming into their own.  Some diesel powered sternwheel towboats were built as late as the nineteen thirties but were almost all gone by mid-century.  Also, we 'modern builders' have found that the little amount of information left behind by the early builders of steamboats, is not always pertinent to our 'personal size' vessels.  This resulted in the very first builders of our modern style of riverboat having very little to guild them.  They had some failures and they had some moderate successes.  However, if you have the opportunity to talk to any of today's builders, most will say, "if I was doing it over, I'd do this" or "I wouldn't do that".  Even they are still learning and some of them have built several vessels.  Also, many ASA members have performed extensive searches of libraries and the internet and have found only a few 'three or four page designs' for paddlewheelers and these were for very small vessels.  And, by virtue of our experience, we quickly determined they were not designed by anyone with true knowledge about our boats.

Where does all this leave you?  Well, that's the purpose of this page.  In the past thirty or so years, much has been learned about the design and building of these 'modern paddlewheel riverboats'.  However, the problem remains that very little information is 'readily available' to those who wish to build one.  Nothing has ever been published and with the exception of a single set of hull plans offered by Captain Morton, nothing else is available.  Therefore, the captains and other members of the ASA wish to 'pledge their assistance to anyone seriously interested in designing and building a personal size paddlewheel riverboat'.  This can be accomplished in a couple of ways.  The first is for those who live close enough to attend festivals or view individual boats by contacting their owners. We invite you to come aboard, ask questions and take pictures.  Most captains, though perhaps not all, will do everything they can to assist you if you're really interested in building a paddlewheel boat.   A second method of obtaining information is through the use of our FAQ's page.  It's designed to cover, we hope, every aspect of paddlewheel boat design and construction. 

One last item.  Building any boat, paddlewheelers included, does require some amount of investment.  Even though all things are relevant, for many the cost can be appreciable.  Even though you may have access to a used motor, spare parts and a welder, there are many other costs involved in building a good vessel.  So, if you're of the mind to build a fifty-foot paddlewheel boat for less than the price of a used houseboat, we suggest you buy the houseboat.

Well, there you are.  If you still desire to build a paddlewheel riverboat and think you have the perseverance, intestinal fortitude and perhaps, a good measure of luck, please join us.  We'd like to have you as a fellow captain.